Justin Masterson isn't discouraged after going winless in his last nine starts. He believes the Indians will turn it around.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerJustin Masterson is pitching well, but hasn't won a game in his last nine starts.

DETROIT, Mich. -- The Justin Masterson who took the mound in his first five starts of the season looks a lot like the Justin Masterson who has taken the mound in his last nine starts. The only difference is his record.

Masterson was 5-0 with a 2.18 ERA five starts into the season. In his next nine starts, he's gone 0-5 with a 3.69 ERA.

"The longer you're in this game, the more you realize that the starting pitcher will wear the Ws and Ls, but it's a team game when it comes down to it," said Masterson after losing to Detroit and Justin Verlander, 4-0, Tuesday night. "I wear both of them with pride, but that's why we win and lose as a team."

In his last nine starts, the Indians have average 1.9 runs per game. In his first five, they average 6.6 runs per game.

Asked if he was getting worn down by the lack of support, Masterson said, "Not yet. Not winning as a team is disappointing. It makes me feel like I'm not keeping it where it needs to be

"I've been decently satisfied with the way I've been going out there. The game is crazy. Good things will happen, bad things will happen. That's why it's so fun to play this game."

Masterson is no stranger to bad streaks. He went 17 straight starts without a victory, losing 11 straight games, from Aug. 25, 2009 through May 24, 2010. The Indians scored 39 runs in those 17 starts. He ended the streak on June 4, 2010 with a victory over the White Sox.

"I feel like I'm pitching tremendously better right now than I was in that stretch," said Masterson. "I'm still catching some of the tough luck I was catching within that span.

"All I can do is go out there. I felt like I had a great effort level (against the Tigers), made pitches when I had to. It's really all I can control."

The loss to Detroit on Tuesday knocked the Indians out of first place in the AL Central for the first time since April 7. Masterson believes the Indians will be back.

"I think any team is going to go through streaks," he said. "Just as you saw Boston and how it started the season. Now look where they're at.

"Look at us. We started hot, and have hit a little lull. There's no doubt we have a great chance of getting hot again. I think you'll see a nice battle throughout the  Central. . .It will even out and we'll all be close and we'll see who gets it at the end."

Testing, testing: Third base prospect Lonnie Chisenhall is being held out of the lineup at Class AAA Columbus as he recovers from a mild concussion/whiplash injury suffered Thursday while sliding into third base.

"Lonnie played a couple of games after the injury, but the symptoms came back," said Atkins. "We decided to hold him out and see how he responds."

Chisenhall is hitting .250 (58-for-232) with 14 doubles, two triples, five homers and 30 RBI in 60 games.

"He's been hitting consistently good, just not consistently great," said Atkins.

Atkins, like GM Chris Antonetti, praised Chisenhall's defense. It was one of the things the Indians wanted him to work on when he was sent down from big league camp in spring training.

Tonight's lineups: 

Indians (35-30): CF Grady Sizemore (L), 1B Carlos Santana (S), LF Michael Brantley (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), DH Matt LaPorta (R), 2B Orlando Cabrera (R), 3B Jack Hannahan (L), C Lou Marson (R) and RHP Fausto Carmona (3-8, 5.71).

Tigers (37-30): CF Austin Jackson (R), 3B Don Kelly (L), LF Brennan Boesch (L), 1B Miguel Cabrera (R), DH Victor Martinez (S), RF Magglio Ordonez (R), C Alex Avila (L), SS Jhonny Peralta (R), 2B Ramon Santiago (S), RHP Brad Penny (5-5, 4.69).

Him vs. me: Miguel Cabrera is hitting .321 (9-for-28) with three homers, six RBI, two walks and six strikeouts against Carmona. Orlando Cabrera is hitting .175 (11-for-63) with three doubles, one homers, six RBI and four walks against Penny. Penny is making his second big league starts against the Tribe.

Left-right: Righties are hitting .276 (40-for-145) with seven homers and lefties are hitting .255 (49-for-192) with six homers against Carmona this year. The Tigers have six righties, including sitch-hitters, in the lineup.

Righties are hitting .299 (47-for-157) with five homers and lefties are hitting .239 (37-for-155) with four homers against Penny this year. The Indians have five righties, including switch hitters, in the lineup.

Umpires: H Brian Runge, 1B D.J. Reyburn, 2B Ted Barrett, 3B Tim McClelland.

Quote of the day: "I cannot get rid of the hurt from losing, but after the last out of every loss, I must accept that there will be a tomorrow. In fact, it's more than there'll be a tomorrow, it's that I want there to be a tomorrow. That's the big difference, I want tomorrow to come," Hall of Famer Sparky Anderson, the late great manager of the Tigers. 

Next: RHP Mitch Talbot (2-3, 4.01) will face Detroit RHP Max Scherzer (8-2, 4.39) in the conclusion of this three-game series Thursday at 1:05 p.m. at Comerica Park. WTAM/1100 will carry the game. There will be no TV.

Beaumont senior Dori Harrison gave South Florida’s volleyball program her oral commitment. "The warm weather had something to do with my decision, and I have family living in Fort Lauderdale," said Harrison, a 5-9 outside hitter who averaged 13.6 kills, 3.27 digs and 2.36 blocks a match as a junior.

Beaumont senior Dori Harrison gave South Florida’s volleyball program her oral commitment.

"The warm weather had something to do with my decision, and I have
family living in Fort Lauderdale," said Harrison, a 5-9 outside hitter who averaged 13.6 kills, 3.27 digs and 2.36 blocks a match as a junior.

Harrison, a Euclid resident who plans to major in marketing, also got
scholarship offers from Cleveland State, Kent State and Virginia Commonwealth. 

Compliance expert says booster groups, academic fraud and recruiting services are the "biggest hot-button issues in compliance." Also, Ohio State hockey at Progressive Field, Buckeyes basketball, etc.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerQuarterback Terrelle Pryor and coach Jim Tressel are no longer at Ohio State because of the football program scandal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The scandal surrounding the Ohio State football program is serving as a model for much of what is wrong in college athletics.

It is an especially hot topic at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) conference this week in Orlando, Fla.

Chuck Smrt is the president of the Compliance Group, which works on compliance issues with schools and conferences.

Ohio State's scandal broke with news late last year that several star players had sold memorabilia, or traded items for tattoos.

Matt Murschel writes about the NACDA conference for the Orlando Sentinel, quoting Smrt:

"I think the biggest hot button issues in compliance today are always the booster groups, academic fraud, and recruiting services," Smrt said following his 50 minute presentation. "Those are the top ones out there and they are the most significant."

It's hard to avoid the topic of some recent compliance issues such as the selling of athletic gear and memorabilia. Especially considering that Smrt's company is currently working with Ohio State on the issue. While he couldn't discuss details of that case, he did believe that it will be on everyone's radar in the next couple of years.

When asked if the selling of memorabilia was a concern right now, Smrt said yes but not as big of a concern as booster groups and academic fraud.

However Smrt can understand why the focus has turned to the selling of awards and equipment.

"My guess is there will be more scrutiny in that area, whether there will be more violations, I don't know, but there will be more scrutiny because again it has people's attention," Smrt said.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes PD Ohio State beat writer Doug Lesmerises' analysis of former OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor's brief news conference on Monday; Terry Pluto's column on Buckeyes interim coach Luke Fickell; the news, with an accompanying poll, that Ohio State's hockey team will play Michigan at Progressive Field; a report that Ohio State basketball players Jon Diebler and Dallas Lauderdale get asked about OSU's football problems as they work out for NBA teams.

Buckeyes links

Andy Katz of ESPN.com wrote about Buckeyes basketball star Jared Sullinger staying at Ohio State instead of entering the NBA draft.

A photo gallery features recent Ohio State football news, on the Bleacher Report.

Terrelle Pryor's entry into the supplemental draft, from which few NFL impact players have emerged, by Vinnie Iyer for SportingNews.com.

Michael Arace's commentary for the Columbus Dispatch that observers still don't know much about Pryor's potential.

Ryan Wilson's report for CBSSports.com on the contention of Pryor's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, that the quarterback should be a first-round supplemental draft pick.

Terrelle Pryor played well in his biggest games at Ohio State, unlike his "mentor," LeBron James, in the NBA Finals. But that does not mean the former OSU quarterback is destined for NFL greatness.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain DealerWinning Most Valuable Player awards in consecutive bowls speaks to Terrelle Pryor's athletic talent (and a pretty good supporting cast), says Bill Livingston. But there would be a lot more demanded of Pryor if he really wants to be a "great NFL quarterback."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Terrelle Pryor left Ohio State much as his "mentor" LeBron James left Cleveland -- as a controversial disappointment in his first pro stop.

Pryor didn't exit on the toe of interim coach Luke Fickell's shoe, but it was close. He also left before the NCAA judges handed down a punishment for his allegedly epic role in OSU's series of scandals, a penalty that conceivably would have rivaled the one-year suspension handed down to coach Jim Tressel's first OSU star, Maurice Clarett.

Pryor spoke openly of teammates in the huddle begging, "Lead us, T, lead us." But he will be remembered mostly for leading them to the tattoo parlor. The cover-up of the illegal memorabilia sales taking place there cost Tressel his job.

Now Pryor has taken his (presumably autographed) football and gone to Florida, there to train for the NFL's supplemental draft. eBay, however, is always a possibility for any football within signing distance of this guy.

Unlike James, Pryor did play big in some of his biggest games, winning Most Valuable Player awards in both the Rose and Sugar bowls. They were easily the best games of his Ohio State career. But he never got the Buckeyes over "that little hump," as he promised, referring to the national championship game. He never even got them to the hump.

But after the first two passes Pryor threw in the second half of the hairbreadth victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl were nearly intercepted, Tressel buttoned down the offense and took the ball out of his quarterback's hands.

An old quarterback himself, Tressel was usually a realist about his signal-callers. He made his national championship quarterback, Craig Krenzel, a game-manager because the offense was based on Clarett's running. Tressel did not free Troy Smith to pass frequently in the spread offense until he saw proof of the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner's grasp of the scheme.

But Tressel had his blind spots. He called Pryor "a great kid," and "one of the most compassionate people you'd ever meet." Few observers outside the locker room saw the same qualities. They saw less flattering things.

Pryor quarreled with assistant coaches on the sideline. He showed up receivers after incompletions, although the misses often seemed to be his fault. He threw so many divot-balls on crossing routes to the rangy OSU receivers that they needed shin guards.

His passes were often late and high over the middle of the field, a cardinal sin in the NFL. The off-target throws to Dane Sanzenbacher sometimes sent the fearless wide receiver pinwheeling through the air after huge hits. Pryor's deep throws had a Dirk Nowitzkian arc on them, allowing safeties time to recover and contest the catch.

Although big (6-6, 235) and fast, Pryor lacks the killer burst of Texas' Vince Young, to whom he was extravagantly compared.

Although possessed of a shattering stiff arm and an even more devastating forearm shiver, which he liked to unload on underized cornerbacks and safeties, Pryor did not relish contact to the same extent as Auburn's Cam Newton, last season's Heisman Trophy winner. Pryor ran out of bounds often for a 6-6, 235-pound guy.

On Pryor's signature play, a weaving 14-yard run on fourth-and-10 at midfield at Iowa, Tressel worried that, while feinting left and right and, slowing down when contact was coming at the first-down marker, Pryor would fail to gain the necessary yards.

Perhaps too soft-nosed to be a tight end or a possession receiver working the middle of the field, Pryor, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, will be a "great, not good" NFL quarterback.

Not without significant improvement in mechanics, he won't.

By the way, the agent kept pronouncing Ter-RELLE as TERR-ell, like another of his clients, Terrell Owens. It must be hard to keep those coach-breakers straight.

At the very least in the NFL, Pryor might be able to repeat one of his 2009 Fiesta Bowl plays. A wide receiver on the play, Pryor, then a freshman, ran down the field, jumped high and caught a lob pass from back-up quarterback Todd Boeckman for a touchdown against a smaller Texas defender.

R.C. Owens caught such "alley-oop" passes for the 49ers in the 1960s, and a former basketball player named Percy Howard almost stole a Super Bowl in the '70s for Dallas against Pittsburgh on a desperate, towering, late heave from Roger Staubach.

Pryor took the majority of snaps in that Fiesta Bowl game, but Boeckman took the first one as the starter of record. That was a move made to protect Pryor's record as a starter against the favored Longhorns.

It is a minor point. Although Pryor was 31-4 as a starter, he will be remembered for much worse things at Ohio State than the loss of a bowl game.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Many expect Cavs to take point guard and big man with Nos. 1 and 4 picks. They have a glaring need for scoring from the wings. Also, mock drafts, etc.

Associated PressJan Vesely (with the basketball) of the Czech Republic is considered one of the most promising small forwards in the draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Most analysts still expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to select Duke point guard Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick in next Thursday's NBA draft.

There is almost as much sentiment that the Cavs will tab a big man, such as Enes Kanter of Turkey or Lithuania's Jonas Valanciunas, with the fourth overall pick.

If things play out that way for the Cavaliers, they will seek another way to address a glaring need. Cleveland last season arguably had the least-feared group of small forwards and shooting guards in the league. 

Most teams depend on the two positions -- to a degree, inter-changable -- for a major share of their offense.

Rick Noland of the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram writes about the Cavaliers' draft and who might be available at small forward and shooting guard:

Help is unlikely to arrive in the first round of the June 23 NBA Draft, as there’s also a shortage of high-level talent worth taking with the No. 1 or No. 4 picks.

The best small forward in the draft — and some teams think he’s a power forward — is Arizona’s Derrick Williams, but it is believed the Cavs are strongly leaning toward taking Duke point guard Kyrie Irving at No. 1. Williams, who worked out for the Cavs on Tuesday, will likely go No. 2 to Minnesota.

After small forward Jan Vesely, a native of the Czech Republic who very well might be an option at No. 4, the talent at the swingman positions drops off fairly quickly.

The top players are considered to be San Diego State’s Kawhi Leonard, who is primarily a small forward, and Texas’ Jordan Hamilton, who might be able to play shooting guard and small forward.

Check The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com for Cavaliers, NBA and draft coverage.

Pick and rolls

Peter Newmann and Dean Oliver, writing for ESPN.com, wonder if Kyrie Irving would be a risky No. 1 overall pick.

Who should be the top pick, Irving or Arizona forward Derrick Williams? By Sean Deveney for SportingNews.com.

On Bleacher Report slideshows: the Cavs are among the teams that will make the "biggest splash" in the draft; who the lottery picks will be.

Also from the Bleacher Report, the Cavaliers should take Enes Kanter with the first pick, with video. 

Mock drafts from:

SBNation.com

DraftExpress.com

NBADraft.net

Dime Magazine's dimemag.com

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners completed two days of talks Wednesday with NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players in Maryland.

View full sizeAP photoThere's no hiding the growing sense of optimism that signs such as this one outside Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo will be coming down with a resolution to the NFL lockout.

NEW YORK -- Negotiations completed for the day and likely the week, NFL owners are setting sights on their upcoming meeting in Chicago. Many players are looking beyond then -- with optimism -- toward getting back to work.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners completed two days of talks Wednesday with NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players in Maryland. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the two sides have been making progress at several such meetings in the last three weeks.

The person, who spoke anonymously because details of the discussions aren't supposed to be made public, also said a new collective bargaining agreement is not imminent. Nonetheless, several players expressed confidence that a deal will get done soon and training camps will open on time late in July.

"I know that we've been talking pretty extensively over the last few weeks," said New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, one of 10 players whose names are on an antitrust lawsuit against the league. "It seems like things are moving in the right direction, which is very positive. It's what we always hoped for as players, because obviously we're getting to crunch time here."

Close enough to it.

Although no deadlines have been set for the opening of camps, the 32 teams soon must decide whether to delay them, particularly those clubs that stage a portion of camp out of town. Settling early in July almost certainly would provide for full training camps at previously planned locations, although the Minnesota Vikings have said they could delay until July 18 an announcement on whether they will train at their usual site in Mankato.

"I think everyone kind of has that feeling, that this thing's starting to end," said Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth, the team's player representative. "I feel like that's the attitude that everybody has, and you can see everybody preparing that way.

"When you look at the timeline for both sides, it starts to get real serious around this time."

The lockout is in its fourth month. During that time, there have been mediation sessions, court actions in Minnesota and Missouri, and clandestine meetings between Goodell and Smith, a handful of owners and players. Some of those talks have included lawyers on both sides, some haven't.

Such sessions have been critical in past NFL negotiations, dating to the 1980s.

Brees said to be wary of reports that specific portions of a framework for a new CBA are completed.

"Little steps is good. ... I think the gap is being narrowed in a lot of different areas," he said. "It's hard to give any kind of prediction at this point, so any percentages that are thrown out there by unknown sources is something that, you can't necessarily believe everything you hear. But there is progress and that's a good thing."

Movement toward an agreement is in both sides' best interest after a federal appeals court judge warned the owners and players they might not like the upcoming decisions in legal actions sparked by the lockout. Indeed, the court could delay any rulings if a new CBA appears to be near.

If a deal were struck, a free agency period would follow soon after, along with the signing of undrafted rookies. Teams would hold minicamps, which have been put off by the lockout that began March 12.

The labor impasse also has cost the league and some teams advertising and sponsorship money, and some players have not collected workout bonuses. At least seven teams have instituted pay cuts or furloughs of employees who are not players.

The economic pain may not be over. The dealmaking could all come crashing down if one side decides compromise is not in its interest.

"Much can still go wrong -- every negotiating session is unique to itself," said Don Yee, who represents Tom Brady and is an adjunct law professor at USC. "Just because one day was good doesn't mean the next day will be, too."

That the lockout has lasted this long is frustrating to at least one player.

"In all honesty, being a professional now in an industry that's as big as the NFL is, it's kind of embarrassing that we're even in a lockout," said Bengals running back Cedric Benson, who will be a free agent once a new CBA is in place. "And having to go through these things and having to come to [the University of Cincinnati] campus and work out and not having a trainer. It's slightly embarrassing, but it is what it is and I have no control over those type of things.

"But it is comforting to hear those guys coming up with a solution."

Who said the outfield is boring? Just ask Michael Brantley about his last two games in center field.

View full sizeChuck Crow, PD file photoMichael Brantley has been a steady defensive player for the Indians in center field, with a couple of notable efforts in the Tribe's last couple of games.

DETROIT, Mich. -- Michael Brantley's last two games in center field have been not been dull.

In the third inning Tuesday at Comerica Park, he seemed to run forever before making a lunging catch of Alex Avila's bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

"Off the bat, I knew I had to get going and I thought I'd probably have to dive," said Brantley. "Diving on the [warning] track is no fun, but I found an extra gear."

Brantley is no stranger to Comerica Park, but the size its outfield always impresses him. "You can run forever out there," he said. "On that catch, I thought I'd be right at the wall in left center, but I still had plenty of room."

Monday night at Yankee Stadium, Brantley caught Alex Rodriguez's fly ball in semi-shallow center field in the first inning. Once again the bases were loaded, with Derek Jeter on third. Jeter broke for home, but hustled back as Brantley held the ball an extra couple of heartbeats before throwing it in.

"Everybody thought I was holding the ball, but when I caught it, I reached into my glove and bobbled it," said Brantley. "After I bobbled it, I had no choice but to concede the run. I was going to throw to third, but Jeter didn't go."

Slump city: You want slumps, the Indians have slumps.

Entering Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Grady Sizemore was 12-for-60 (.200); Travis Buck 0-for-16 (.000); Orlando Cabrera 12-for-76 (.158); Shin-Soo Choo had one RBI in his last 18 games; Cord Phelps 1-for-14 (.071); Carlos Santana 1-for-16 (.063); Matt LaPorta 15-for-77 (.195) and Adam Everett 0-for-9 (.000).

The Indians were hitting .209 with 38 runs scored in June. In April they hit .272 and led the AL with 141 runs. In May, they hit .248 with 108 runs.

"It's just a matter of us being patient and getting back on top of the baseball," said hitting coach Jon Nunnally. "Justin Verlander was tremendous Tuesday night. Against a guy like that you can't try to get too big [with your swing] on him. You have to be short to the ball.

"We just have to be patient because you'll get your pitch. You just can't miss it."

What gives? When the Indians called Phelps up from Class AAA Columbus, the plan was to play him at second base against most right-handers, while Orlando Cabrera played against lefties. Cabrera has started three of the last four games, including Wednesday, against right-handers.

Manager Manny Acta said he started Cabrera against Verlander and Brad Penny, Detroit's starter Wednesday, because he's had some success against them. Phelps is scheduled to start Thursday.

Testing, testing: The Indians received good reports on Travis Hafner's first rehab game Tuesday at Class AA Akron. Hafner, who went through drills, including sliding, Wednesday at Progressive Field, will make his second start at Akron on Thursday night.

"We won't evaluate him until he's played at least three games," said Acta.

Hafner is recovering from a strained right oblique muscle.

Make-up dates: Here are the Indians' make-up dates for the May 14-15 rainouts against Seattle at Progressive Field.

The May 14th game will be made up as the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Aug. 23. The first game starts at 1:05 p.m. The May 15th game will be played Sept. 19 at 4:05 p.m.

Resting: Third-base prospect Lonnie Chisenhall has been held out of the lineup at Class AAA Columbus as he recovers from a mild concussion/whiplash injury suffered Thursday while sliding into third base.

Chisenhall played a couple of games after the incident, but then experienced symptoms of a concussion and was shut down.

Ross Atkins, the Indians' director of player development, said the surgery right-hander Jason Knapp underwent Tuesday in New York "tightened the shoulder capsule" of the right-hander. He said the surgery was located primarily in the anterior, or back, of the right shoulder. An important part of the Cliff Lee deal, this is Knapp's second operation on the same shoulder since the 2009 trade. He is expected to be ready to pitch next spring.

Finally: Verlander, who could hit the eye of a gnat Tuesday, went up and in once against Santana before hitting him with a pitch in the first inning.

Strong feeling in the Tribe's locker room that it was payback for Santana admiring his game-winning grand slam against the Tigers on April 29.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The Hudson Junior Invitational finally has an international champion. But it was still a local player who stole the show.

HUDSON, Ohio -- In its 33rd year, the Hudson Junior Invitational finally has an international champion. But it was still a local player who stole the show.

Mexico's David Faraudo Godinez, seeking to impress American college coaches with a scholarship to give, won for the first time on U.S. soil when he shot a 1-over 73 on Tuesday for a 54-hole total of 3-over 219 and a five-shot victory at the Country Club of Hudson.

Hinckley's Jessica Porvasnik continued to impress college coaches -- an Ohio State scout followed every step of the way -- and ran away with the girls competition. The Highland junior closed with a 4-over 76 to win by a whopping 12 shots with a three-round total of 218.

Gilmour Academy junior Andrew Bieber was the highest local finisher in the field of 85 boys when he closed with a 71 and a 54-hole score of 224, making him one of four to finish in a tie for second. Stow's Ian Holt was the next highest local finisher, tying for seventh at 226.

Porvasnik, The Plain Dealer's player of the year last fall, was never threatened thanks to an opening 69. Floridian Yvonne Zheng was second at 230. Geneva's Danielle Nicholson, Massillon's Angela Codian and Rocky River's Jillian Hollis, cousin of former Plain Dealer tennis player of the year Stephanie Hollis, were in the top seven.

Godinez, 16, is a member of the Mexican Junior national team and is spending a significant portion of his summer playing golf in the States.

"I would like the opportunity to play college golf in America and playing in the States is the only way I can demonstrate that I can play in the United States," he said after taking a two-shot lead into the final round and building his final margin.

Porvasnik, who took a 10-shot lead into the final 18 holes, made the turn in 3-over 36 and no one was able to challenge last year's Division I state runner-up.

"I didn't think I could win [coming into the tournament] because there were some really good people here, but I played great both days," said Porvasnik, who credited a new Titleist driver and coach Pam Stefanik for much of her success. "I didn't finish strong in my last tournament so we worked really hard on everything this past week. I hit the center of the fairway and it was long. I hit it solid."

Porvasnik's lone slipup came on the 312-yard seventh hole, when she four-putted from 10 feet for her only double bogey in two days.

"It was not good," she said.

Everything else, though, was darn good.

Fausto Carmona overcomes a three-run first inning as the offense finally wakens as the Tribe pounds out 13 hits in victory.

View full sizeJulian H. Gonzalez, Detroit Free PressDetroit pitcher Charlie Furbush watches the ball come back to the infield too late as Shin-Soo Choo (17) gets a high-five from Jack Hannahan after Choo scored the tiebreaking run in the fifth inning on Orlando Cabrera's double Wednesday night at Comerica Park. The Indians scored one more in the seventh to provide the final margin in their 6-4 victory over the Tigers.

DETROIT, Mich. --- Like a hibernating bear living on his summer fat, the Indians continue to benefit from their fast start.

A day after slipping out of first place in the AL Central for the first time since April 7, they regained a percentage point lead over the Tigers on Wednesday night with a 6-4 victory at Comerica Park.

Fausto Carmona (4-8, 5.79) broke a five-start losing streak with a five-and-fly performance that was not a thing of beauty, but may help restore the right-hander's confidence. The victory was only the Tribe's third in the last 13 games.

The story of the night for the Indians was an offense that returned to work after going over the wall for a three-week vacation and a bullpen that hasn't taken a day off since the start of the season. The offense's best moment was a four-run fourth inning, which represented more runs than the Indians scored in nine of their previous 12 games.

But it was Orlando Cabrera who put the Tribe ahead for good with a two-out double in the fifth off Charlie Furbush (1-1). Shin-Soo Choo scored from first for a 5-4 lead as Cabrera's double took a nasty bounce off the grandstand in left to avoid the efforts of Brennan Boesch.

Matt LaPorta made it 6-4 in the seventh as he scored Choo from second with a slow bouncer to third off Al Alburquerque. Choo singled with one out, took second on Boesch's error and third on Alburquerque's wild pitch.

Rafael Perez, Vinnie Pestano, Tony Sipp and Chris Perez pitched the last four innings. Chris Perez earned his 17th save in 18 chances by retiring the Tigers in order in the ninth.

The Indians, trailing 3-0, scored four runs in the fourth off starter Brad Penny to take a 4-3 lead. In their previous 13 games, they'd been shut out four times.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Choo started the fourth with a single and a walk. LaPorta singled home Cabrera to make it 3-1. Orlando Cabrera's bounced a single into left to score Choo and Lou Marson delivered the game-tying single to right to score LaPorta. Marson's single knocked Penny out of the game.

Grady Sizemore, locked in a 13-for-62 slump, greeted lefty Charlie Furbush with a long sacrifice fly to center field for a 4-3 lead.

Carmona could not hold the lead. The defense didn't help him.

Ramon Santiago started the fourth with a single. With Santiago running on the pitch, Austin Jackson sent a grounder to short. Instead of going to first base to get Jackson, Asdrubal Cabrera tried for the double play. Santiago was safe at second and the fleet Jackson beat Orlando Cabrera's throw to first.

Don Kelly advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt and Boesch's mis-hit roller to second scored Santiago to make it 4-4.

The Tigers jumped Carmona for a 3-0 lead in the first. Carmona retired the first two batters with ease before his old problems surfaced. Boesch hit a 3-1 pitch into the right field seats for a 1-0 lead. It was the 14th homer Carmona has allowed this season and the seventh in his last six starts.

Miguel Cabrera reached on Jack Hannahan's misplay at third -- eventually ruled as a hit -- and Victor Martinez, Carmona's old catcher, doubled him to third. Carmona walked Magglio Ordonez before giving up a two-run single to Alex Avila, who entered 1-for-6 lifetime against the Tribe right-hander.

Carmona allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked two in 103 pitches. Penny, facing the Tribe for just the second time in his career, allowed four runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two and threw 73 pitches.

Not all of detractors of LeBron James and the Miami Heat should be considered equal, Bud Shaw writes in his Spin column.

View full sizeWilfredo Lee, Associated PressReally ... honestly ... LeBron James doesn't feel superior to anyone who might be having an enjoyable week since late Sunday night. Then again, his watch probably is better than yours.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- So what if he basically said, "Let them eat cake." He didn't mean he eats better than them, even though he does.

People are piling on LeBron James, and it is unbecoming.

The Peoria Chiefs, the Chicago Cubs' Class A team, is holding a "LeBron James NBA Championship Replica Giveaway" Thursday night. Minor league baseball is king when it comes to promotions. Which explains "Ted Williams Popsicle Night" -- if that's actually possible to explain.

And "Awful Night" when the Altoona Curve played music by Milli Vanilli and William Shatner, then staged an autograph session where regular people did the signing.

And "Silent Night," where the Charleston RiverDogs tried to create the quietest atmosphere in baseball history, complete with fans wearing duct tape over their mouths holding up signs that read, "Yay" and "Boo." Librarians and golf marshals subbed as ushers.

So if you guessed that "LeBron James NBA Championship Replica Giveaway Night" featured a non-existent ring, you, too, could work in minor-league promotions.

I don't mean to interrupt the cheesy laugh track, but these are Chicago Cubs employees, right? When your team hasn't won since 1908, should you really be making fun of anybody for not winning a world championship over an eight-year career?

Guarantee a serious Cubs fan his team will win it all eight years from now in 2019, and you'll be hugged so hard it'll be a week before you get the smell of despondency and bratwurst off you.

Governor John Kasich became an even bigger offender of piling on because he used James for purposes of political pandering when he declared the Mavericks honorary Ohioans. How bold was that? The declaration reads, in part: "Whereas, NBA Finals [MVP] Dirk Nowitzki chose to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2010, foregoing free agency and keeping his talents in Dallas, remaining loyal to the team, city and fans for whom he played his entire career."

Listen, had the Cavaliers won it all a year ago, the governor's office would've feted James and his teammates -- including Shaquille O'Neal, who took his talents from Orlando to the Lakers a long time ago. So you have to take Kasich's declaration for what it is: Playing to the crowd.

Had Dwyane Wade joined James in Cleveland and the Cavs won it all this year, Kasich would've named them to his cabinet.

Those who say James will never win a title are guilty of going too far, too. The last guy whose mettle was so overwhelmingly questioned? Let's see. You mean, other than Nowitzki?

James will win somewhere along the way. He's 26. The Peoria Chiefs, Kasich, the crazies who think James won't win, they're not doing the rest of us any favors.

And by "rest of us," I don't mean Clevelanders. The fan base wanting to see the Heat lose stretched from coast to coast. For a simple reason. That scene in Miami when James predicted multiple championships and all three of them turned in unison to the crowd through a smoky haze to reveal themselves as rock stars. The Heatles.

From that moment on, even lots of non-Ohioans began rooting for a comeuppance. The guys that tried to stack the team on the playground and then couldn't hold court.

"If you get to the finals," Wade said after the Game 6 loss that ended the series, "you're a pretty good team." Yes you are. But that's quite a come-down from where their opinions of themselves were perched at the start of the season.

When James said people would have to return to their lives now that they were done rooting against the Heat, and that the same old problems would await them? Who said people were done? Everybody who wanted to see the over-confident overdogs fall simply had one more reason to smile.

That's not piling on. That's what James and the Heat should've expected.

HE SAID IT

"I don't know him and you never know until you meet a guy, he might be the greatest kid you've ever met. But if he's selfish, there's no room for him in this league." -- Hartford Colonials coach Jerry Glanville on Terrelle Pryor.

Also if he can really play.

HE SAID WHAT?

"I would never ever look at myself bigger than anyone who watched our game. It may have come off wrong but that wasn't my intent." -- LeBron James, who has a tattoo that reads, "Chosen1."

SPINOFFS

Pryor settled on Drew Rosenhaus to represent him. Judging by the press conference, where Rosenhaus declared Pryor a "great quarterback" and guaranteed he'd go in the first round of the supplemental draft, Pryor apparently was looking for an agent who could bark at a carnival and maybe even guess people's weight...

View full sizeAP photoWith a smile on his face, this man must make the best of a serious situation.

If I'm Rosenhaus, I might tell Pryor he'd come across more contrite and humbled by what's happened if he didn't deliver his apology to Jim Tressel as a "special shoutout"...

Dallas owner Mark Cuban would like to commemorate the franchise's first NBA title with something other than championship rings for his team. "It's time to take it to the next level," Cuban said. Mavericks players are said to be concerned that Cuban might consider sweat shirts "the next level"...

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

(The Face-off)

Luke Fickell and Adam Sandler -- David Boettner, Peggy Turbett, Steve Kopchu and Gary from Wickliffe

View full sizeAP photoThis TV magistrate often makes supposedly serious decisions over laughable situations.

Luke Fickell and Judge Alex -- Adam Bojko

YOU SAID IT

(The Slightly Expanded For Obvious Reasons Edition)

"Bud:

"On National LeBron Day, will you leave work 12 minutes early?" -- Michael Sarro

No, but during those 12 minutes I will hand off every assignment I get to a co-worker like it's a hot potato.

"Bud:

"Is it true at LeBron's annual bike-a-thon this year, he'll be riding a tandem bike with Dwyane Wade in the lead?" -- John B

View full sizeAP photoThe word "serious" should never be connected to this guy, even when he's not smiling.

Yes, and late in the ride they'll both be looking over their shoulders for a feverish German closing fast.

"Hey Bud:

"Do you think that maybe LeBron might not have been fake coughing and maybe was starting to choke?" -- Dan Coughlin

Starting to?

"Bud:

"Is Jim Brown happy LeBron went to Miami where there is no pressure to win a championship, and after the season no one will scrutinize his playoff performance?" -- David Dzurovcin, Akron

You had me at "Is Jim Brown happy?"

"Bud:

"If the baseball season is a marathon and not a sprint, then the Indians need to open a baseball school in Kenya and fast." -- Mike Bass, Twinsburg

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Bud:

"They've always had warm weather, white sandy beaches and beautiful (albeit artificial) bodies in Miami. Now that you know who plays there, do you think they finally feel spoiled?" -- Edward J. Aube

Repeat winners get the blue light special.

"Bud:

"Can we all stop roasting LeBron and for a moment consider placing the blame where it belongs ... on the Heat? Obviously, The King needs more help." -- Wayne Kuznar

Repeat winners also get to take their talents elsewhere.

Tim Thomas made 37 saves in the second shutout of the finals and Patrice Bergeron and rookie Brad Marchand scored two goals apiece to lead Boston.

View full sizeAP photoBoston goalie Tim Thomas hoisted the Stanley Cup just moments after being named the Finals' MVP with his second shutout of the series Wednesday night in Vancouver.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Boston Bruins had waited 39 long years for another drink from the Stanley Cup, and Tim Thomas was awfully thirsty.

When the Bruins and their brilliant goalie barged into a hostile Canadian rink surrounded by another 100,000 screaming fans outside for Game 7, they emerged with the championship they wanted.

Thomas made 37 saves in the second shutout of his landmark finals performance, Patrice Bergeron and rookie Brad Marchand scored two goals apiece, and the Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-0, Wednesday night for their first championship since 1972.

"I think I went even further than I thought," Thomas said. "I never envisioned three Game 7s in one playoff series and still being able to come out on top."

Bergeron scored the eventual game-winner in the first period and added a short-handed score in the second to keep the Cup away from the Canucks, who have never won it in nearly 41 years of existence. Star goalie Roberto Luongo again failed to match Thomas' brilliance, giving up 18 goals in the last five games of the finals.

Mark Messier and the New York Rangers won Game 7 in Vancouver's last finals appearance in 1994. This time, Thomas silenced the NHL's highest-scoring team, erased nearly four decades of Bruins playoff blunders and crushed an entire Canadian city desperate to take the Stanley Cup to Stanley Park.

Thomas limited the Canucks to eight goals in seven spectacular games in the finals, blanking Vancouver in two of the last four. Boston dropped the first two games in Vancouver but became just the third team since 1966 to overcome that deficit.

"All the physical work we'd done throughout the whole series added up," Thomas said. "Being the last series, we didn't save anything, and we used that physicality again and that was the difference."

Bergeron added a Stanley Cup ring to his gold medals from the Olympics and the world championships with his biggest game of a quiet series. He scored his first goal of the finals late in the first period on a shot Luongo saw too late, and Marchand added his 10th goal of the postseason in the second before Bergeron's short-handed goal, which inexplicably slid under Luongo.

The Bruins are the first team in NHL history to win a Game 7 three times in the same postseason, and they drew another dose of inspiration from forward Nathan Horton, whose concussion in Game 3 irrevocably changed the series' momentum.

Horton attended Game 7, and he apparently poured a bottle of Boston water onto the ice in front of the Bruins' bench 90 minutes before warmups. He joined his teammates in the raucous postgame celebration, putting on his skates and taking a celebratory turn with the Stanley Cup held high above his head.

Horton was lost for the series with a concussion on a big hit from Vancouver's Aaron Rome. The Bruins rallied for four wins in five games after Horton's injury.

During a two-week Stanley Cup finals that ranks among the NHL's weirdest in recent years, the only predictable aspect had been the home teams' dominance. Vancouver eked out three one-goal victories at home, while the Bruins won three blowouts in Boston.

The loss capped a spectacular collapse by Luongo, the enigmatic goalie who backstopped Canada to Olympic gold medals on this same ice sheet a year ago. Luongo was pulled from the Canucks' last two games in Boston after giving up 15 goals on the road, and he was fatally shaky in Game 7.

Luongo praised his own positional game earlier in the series, but he didn't recover in time to stop Marchand's second-period goal. Five minutes later, he inexplicably failed to close his legs on a slowly sliding puck on Bergeron's goal -- the seventh allowed by Luongo on the last 21 shots he faced dating back to Game 4.

Luongo wasn't alone in deserving Vancouver's blame: The Sedin twins are the NHL's last two scoring champions, but they capped a disastrous finals by being on the ice for ALL of Boston's goals. Captain Henrik Sedin, last season's MVP, scored just one goal in the series, while Daniel Sedin had two goals and two assists, scoring in just two of the seven games.

Boston overcame more than the Vancouver crowd and the NHL's highest-scoring team to win this Cup. Starting in the first round, when the Bruins rallied past Montreal after losing the series' first two games at home, this team has showed a resilience and tenacity that hasn't been seen much in the self-professed Hub of Hockey in four decades.

The Bruins failed in their five previous trips to the finals since Bobby Orr led them to championships in 1970 and 1972, losing every time. Remarkable players such as Cam Neely came and went without a Cup, while Ray Bourque had to go to Colorado to get his only ring 10 years ago.

Boston declined to schedule a viewing party for the game at TD Garden, worried about logistics and crowd control. Instead, the party will rage in bars and neighborhoods -- but it'll pale in comparison to the party that the Bruins ruined in Vancouver.

The Sept. 22 ceremony at Landerhaven marks the 35th anniversary of the Hall of Fame.

Dominique Moceanu's floor routine performance in the 1996 Olympics

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Olympian Dominique Moceanu, former Browns star Bob Golic and Indians broadcaster and former major-leaguer Mike Hegan are among eight people being inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on Sept. 22.

The ceremony at Landerhaven marks the 35th anniversary of the Hall of Fame. Tickets may be ordered at clevelandsportshall.com or by calling 216-682-0141.

The Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2011, presented alphabetically:

• Dick Brubaker -- A starting end and captain on the 1954 Ohio State national championship football team that capped a perfect season with a 20-7 win over USC in the Rose Bowl. Played defensive end and tight end for the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in 1955 before serving in the U.S. Navy, and returned to the Cardinals for the 1957 season. Played tight end for the Buffalo Bills in 1960.

• Dick Crum -- Posted a 50-9-1 record as Mentor High School's coach from 1963 to '68, and a 113-77-4 record -- including 6-2 in bowl games -- as the coach at Miami of Ohio (1974-77), North Carolina (1978-87) and Kent State (1988-90). His 1974-75 Miami teams finished 10th and 12th in the national rankings, and his 1979-82 North Carolina teams finished 15th, 10th, ninth and 18th, respectively.

• Bob Golic -- Starred in football and won a state wrestling championship at Cleveland St. Joseph High School. A two- time first-team All-American at Notre Dame. In between three seasons with the New England Patriots and four with the Oakland Raiders, Golic played nose tackle for the Browns from 1982 to '88, making three Pro Bowl teams.

View full sizePD file photoMike Hegan played 13 years in the big leagues, and is in his 23rd season as an Indians broadcaster.

• Mike Hegan -- Graduated from St. Ignatius High School in 1960 as the Catholic High School Athlete of the Year. The first baseman- outfielder played 13 major-league seasons, getting to the 1964 World Series as a rookie with the New York Yankees and the 1972 series with the champion Oakland A's. An AL All-Star with the Seattle Pilots (became the Milwaukee Brewers) in 1969. In his 23rd season as an Indians broadcaster.

• Jerry Holtrey -- A three-time AAU All-American in open-water swimming, he became coach of the nationally renown Lake Erie Silver Dolphins in 1968, winning every district championship over the past 42 years. As the swimming coach at Hawken School since 1969, his girls teams have won 21 state championships and his girls and boys teams have combined for 45 district titles.

• Dominique Moceanu -- Born in Hollywood, Calif., Moceanu is a John Carroll University graduate who now coaches gymnastics in Broadview Heights. At age 13 in 1995, she became the youngest gymnast ever to win the senior all-around title at the U.S. Nationals. Won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics as a member of the United States women's team.

• Barb Mucha -- A graduate of Valley Forge High School, where she played on the otherwise all-boys golf team, Mucha was an honorable mention All-American at Michigan State. Earned her LPGA tour card in 1986, and won five tournaments and had numerous other top 10 finishes in a career of more than 20 years.

• Tony Rini -- Began his horse racing career as a jockey in 1959, winning the Ohio Derby riding Our Native in 1973. Rode in the Kentucky Derby twice and won about 2,500 races in his 23-year jockey career. His career ended in 1982 when an accident left him with a paralyzed left arm and with rods in his back. After a year of recovery from the accident, began his career as a trainer.

Here is Thursday's essay by Barbara Schubert of Cleveland Heights.

View full sizeAmy Sancetta, Associated PressFor the kids, every trip to a baseball game is a revelation seen for the first time.

This spring, we asked readers to tell us their best memory at an Indians game. More than 600 of you responded. All season, The Plain Dealer will publish fan memories -- one each day the Indians are scheduled to play. Here is Thursday's essay by Barbara Schubert of Cleveland Heights:

The first time I took my 4-year-old grandson, Max, to a baseball game, even before we were seated, he began asking questions. "How long is a baseball game? How do we know when the inning is over? How many pitchers does each team have? What is the longest game ever played? Did they play through dinner? Did they play into the dark?"

At various times during the game, he checked on the score to make sure he was up to date. As each inning ended, I suggested that we could go home if he was tired.

"No way," came the response.

At the seventh inning, I said that we should go home because his parents might well be worried. His response was to announce that no one had "scored a point" since the third inning, so it was still tied, and "baseball games do not end until someone wins."

This baseball game ended in the ninth inning, with the Indians scoring the winning run as a little boy stood up on the seat to cheer them on.

I do not remember the exact date of the game I have described above, but I still remember the feeling of joy I experienced at that game. The Indians won! The Indians not only won the game, but clearly they won a fan.

Each year as the season draws to a close, Max checks to make sure that I am renewing my season tickets. He has never said no to an invitation to join me at the ballpark. He will be there on Opening Day and many days and nights thereafter. What a lucky grandmother I am!

Angry, drunken fans ran wild Wednesday night after the Vancouver Canucks' 4-0 loss to Boston in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, setting cars and garbage cans ablaze, smashing windows, showering giant TV screens with beer bottles and dancing atop overturned vehicles. Story includes video.

A car burns behind a police officer following a riot that broke out after the Vancouver Canucks were defeated by the Boston Bruins in the NHL Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Wednesday June 15, 2011. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press - Darryl Dyck)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia  — Angry, drunken fans ran wild Wednesday night after the Vancouver Canucks' 4-0 loss to Boston in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, setting cars and garbage cans ablaze, smashing windows, showering giant TV screens with beer bottles and dancing atop overturned vehicles.

Later, looters smashed windows and ran inside department stores.

"We have a small number of hooligans on the streets of Vancouver causing problems," Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said. "It's absolutely disgraceful and shameful and by no means represents the city of Vancouver. ... We have had an extraordinary run in the playoff, great celebration. What's happened tonight is despicable."

Police said they had reports of four stabbings, though spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness said she couldn't confirm them.

Officers from around the region flooded into downtown, and Robertson said things were getting under control, but the images and atmosphere that persisted late into the night suggested otherwise.

It took about four hours before downtown quieted again.

While Robertson said there had been no fatalities, ambulances appeared to be having trouble getting inside the zone to help the injured. TV images showed at least one woman mopping blood from her forehead.

"You don't ever hope for a situation like this," McGuinness said. "You celebrate the good times and you prepare for the bad times and that's exactly what we've done. Unfortunately, the tables have turned tonight. ... We will have to sit down and evaluate exactly what happened here. It's going to be a black mark for a very, very long time."

At a Bay store, looters were seen grabbing T-shirts and anything else they could get their hands on. Young women were seen escaping with MAC cosmetics, with one carrying out part of a mannequin. The landmark building was filling with smoke as people, their faces covered in bandannas, continued the violence.

The Bay became a target, with windows smashed to allow looters to get to the expensive Coach and Burberry purses. Merchandise went flying into the street. Women rampaged through the main floor makeup department, tossing each other products and squealing in delight.

Another fire erupted nearby in an area littered with abandoned Canucks memorabilia and hand-lettered signs expressing support for the team.

The violence appeared to start when fans set fire to a stuffed bear decorated to symbolize the Bruins. Others sang a drunken tune as they danced on an overturned vehicle.

"It's terrible," Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said, shaking his head. "This city and province has a lot to be proud of, the team we have and the guys we have in here. It's too bad."

The looters turned their attention next on a Future Shop store a few blocks away, smashing windows and flooding up the stairs to the second-floor store, only to turn around quickly. One witness said police were at the top of the stairs.

Sears and Chapters stores were also looted, their glass fronts smashed. For many, the ugly chaos made the Cup loss an afterthought.

"What I've seen is a complete disgrace," said Beth Hope, 28, who is originally from England but has lived in Vancouver for two years. "I'm a Canucks fan, but my jersey's in my bag. I'm ashamed to be a fan right now."

Hope said she saw a parkade on fire and cars ablaze.

"It's insane, it's absolutely insane," she said. "What's the point? Our team lost. Why destroy your own city? I'm afraid."

NBA star Steve Nash, from nearby Victoria and the brother-in-law of Canucks forward Manny Malhotra, sent a Twitter message imploring the fans to stop the violence. "We're a great city and have a lot of class. Our team is great and our championship will come. Soon," Nash wrote.

Robertson praised the police and firefighters and asked people to stay away from the central downtown area.

"It is extremely disappointing to see the situation in downtown Vancouver turn violent after tonight's Stanley Cup game," Robertson said. "Vancouver is a world-class city and it is embarrassing and shameful to see the type of violence and disorder we've seen tonight.

"The vast majority of people who were in the downtown tonight were there to enjoy the game in a peaceful and respectful manner. It is unfortunate that a small number of people intent on criminal activity have turned pockets of the downtown into areas involving destruction of property and confrontations with police."

Tear gas mingled with the stench of acrid smoke and stale beer as riot police, truncheons drawn, moved in to quell the violence, pushing crowds away from the burning cars.

Later, police cars also were set on fire. At one point, police were using flash-bangs — grenades that are designed to distract and disorient, rather than injure — to try to break up the mob.

"This isn't what the Canucks are about," said Chad McMillan, 31, a Vancouver resident and Canucks fan. "This isn't what their fans are about. This isn't what this city is about."

Flames leaped from at least two flipped vehicles in the middle of trash-strewn streets, filling the downtown core with heavy black smoke in the moments immediately following the game.

"I heard a loud noise and turned and there was a car being stomped on by a bunch of guys," 18-year-old witness Brandon Sinclair said about the first few moments of violence.

"A bunch of guys started rocking it, then they flipped it over and five minutes later it was on fire and then they flipped another one. It was just out of control."

Bright orange flames were seen shooting nearly 10 yards into the air as bystanders tossed firecrackers.

Television images showed a large fire burning inside a parking garage, but it wasn't clear what was ablaze.

A small group of rioters appeared to be at the heart of the action reminiscent of a similar scene that erupted in the city in 1994 following the Canucks' Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers.

McGuinness said those responsible for this latest damage had an average age of 22 or 23 and were downtown specifically to wreak mayhem, not to watch hockey.

"They've embarrassed our city and taken away that pride that we had," she said.

For two weeks, the city hosted thousands of fans in areas set aside with gigantic screens for watching the games as the Canucks progressed through the playoffs. Police officers high-fived passers-by, and spectators were well-behaved, win or lose.

Game 7 was different.

McGuinness said police aren't blaming alcohol consumption — there was more during Game 5 on Friday night. But she also bristled at the notion that the force's so-called meet-and-greet strategy was misguided.

"I would completely disagree that there is complacency," she said. "We are very aware in a crowd situation that things can change. We watch for those flashpoints in a crowd."

When flames erupted from an exploding car, bystanders ducked out of fear. Fans who were trying simply to get out of the danger zone found their visibility reduced by the thick black smoke.

About an hour after the game, some bold troublemakers started hurling garbage and bottles at police officers, who deflected the debris with riot shields. Protesters who rushed the police line were quickly subdued with blows from a truncheon.

Some protesters held what looked like pipes or hockey sticks over their heads as they jeered at officers. Newspaper boxes were wrenched off the sidewalk and hurled through store windows. Portable toilets were tipped as the stifling black smoke spread through the city's core.

While some members of the crowd expressed dismay that the police didn't take a more aggressive approach to the early vandalism, others said officers were heavy-handed.

"There's people who've been coming through the crowds suffering from tear gas," said 26-year-old Amy Zevick. "I'm seriously disappointed in the city of Vancouver and the country of Canada because it makes me feel the insecurity I read about in other parts of the world. I don't think it's OK to loot, but I also don't think it's OK to over-police and assume that every person is guilty."

Some seemed to revel in the rampage, recording the vandalism on cell phones and video cameras. A few congratulated those who tried to attack police, and others erupted with cheers every time something was damaged.

At least two young men covered in soot reported being roughed up by the police, but they weren't arrested. Rivers of poured-out alcohol, broken glass and trash made navigating the streets treacherous.

Fans wandered amid the chaos, some with bandanas or T-shirts pulled over their faces — either to hide their faces from police and TV cameras or to guard against the smoke, or both.

"What is most disappointing and disturbing is that we have spectators who will not go home," B.C. Solicitor General Shirley Bond said. "We need everyone to pay attention, we need them to leave the downtown and they need to stop treating this as a spectator sport. This is a dangerous situation where people need to go home."

Who's the center of attention for the Cavs in the upcoming draft?

View full sizeAP FileWill Turkish center Enes Kanter be occupying the paint for the Cavs this season?

I turn on the tube and what do I see
A whole lotta people cryin’ ’don’t blame me’
They point their crooked little fingers ar everybody else
Spend all their time feelin’ sorry for themselves
Victim of this, victim of that
Your momma’s too thin; your daddy’s too fat

Get over it
Get over it
All this whinin’ and cryin’ and pitchin’ a fit
Get over it, get over it

"We can't make drafting decisions based on our current roster. You can't fall in love with our current players. We have huge holes at the SF and SG positions, but we can't reach for those guys in this draft if no one is available. We need to take Irving and Kanter or Big V and start the rebuilding process there. We have trade assets in Jamison, Hickson and, to a lesser degree, Baron Davis. If we can get an additional No. 1 pick next year, we will be in prime position to build our team. When it comes down to it, we need to hit on our draft picks. That will make or break us." - watty30

View full sizeAP Photo | Sara D. DavisKyrie Irving is expected to be the top pick in the NBA Draft next week.

In response to the story NBA draft 2011 and the Cleveland Cavaliers: May need another way to fill needs at small forward and shooting guard, cleveland.com reader watty30 thinks everything is a need for the Cavaliers. This reader writes,

"We can't make drafting decisions based on our current roster. You can't fall in love with our current players. We have huge holes at the SF and SG positions, but we can't reach for those guys in this draft if no one is available. We need to take Irving and Kanter or Big V and start the rebuilding process there. We have trade assets in Jamison, Hickson and, to a lesser degree, Baron Davis. If we can get an additional No. 1 pick next year, we will be in prime position to build our team. When it comes down to it, we need to hit on our draft picks. That will make or break us."

"Now that the media has gotten a hold of positive signs, it's easy to be hopeful; but until I see a deal done, I'll reserve judgement. If this is what it takes for the player and owners to budge, what else needs to happen before they reach a mutual agreement? Hate to be a downer, but this is the reality." - glough

View full sizeAP PhotoRoger Goodell and the owners and players may be closer to getting a deal done.

In response to the story Second day of negotiations builds optimism for resolution of NFL lockout, cleveland.com reader glough is holding off on optimism. This reader writes,

"Now that the media has gotten a hold of positive signs, it's easy to be hopeful; but until I see a deal done, I'll reserve judgement. If this is what it takes for the player and owners to budge, what else needs to happen before they reach a mutual agreement? Hate to be a downer, but this is the reality."

"I'm beginning to like having Marson catch more games. He is a better catcher than Santana. Santana can catch, DH or play 1B alternately." - PhiFan

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerLou Marson, right, has been solid defensively over the last two years, even if his bat hasn't always been there.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians beat Tigers, 6-4, to reclaim 1st in AL Central, cleveland.com reader PhiFan thinks Lou Marson deserves more playing time. This reader writes,

"I'm beginning to like having Marson catch more games. He is a better catcher than Santana. Santana can catch, DH or play 1B alternately."

Joe Kotoch of probasketballdraft.com says Irving would bring a Chris Paul-type presence to the Cavaliers. Watch video

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough, flying solo today without the vacationing Branson Wright.

The NBA Draft is one week away, and reports are surfacing that the Cleveland Cavaliers are locked into taking Duke point guard Kyrie Irving as the No. 1 overall pick.

Today's guest on SBTV is Joe Kotoch of probasketballdraft.com. He says that Irving has gained separation as the best player in the draft, and says that in Irving, the Cavaliers will have an All-Star caliber point guard on their roster in the mold of Chris Paul.

Kotoch also talks about his website's top seven players for the draft; and suggests what moves the NBA must make during the offseason to settle.

SBTV will return Friday with Plain Dealer Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot as the guest.

Mitch Talbot tries to continue string of strong starts with first place on the line.

View full sizeMitch Talbot takes the mound for the Indians today.

(AP) -- Thanks to a rare home loss to the Cleveland Indians, the Detroit Tigers' chance to sit alone atop the AL Central was brief.

The Tigers might get another opportunity if Max Scherzer can continue to put his recent struggles behind him in Thursday's series finale against the Indians.

Detroit (37-31) pushed Cleveland out of first for the first time since April 6 on Tuesday with its 12th win in 16 games and 16th in 18 matchups at Comerica Park.

After losing 15 of 20, Cleveland responded Wednesday by rallying for a 6-4 victory to snap a six-game skid in Detroit and regain a share of first. Trailing 3-0, the Indians scored four runs in the fourth inning and Orlando Cabrera hit the go-ahead double in the fifth.

Cabrera had three hits after batting .153 in his previous 22 games. The Indians (36-30) had 13 hits after batting .216 over their previous 20.

"It's going to be a really, really interesting season," Cabrera said. "It's going to be fun. It's going to be a battle. Hopefully, we'll have more games like this."

Repeating that performance might prove difficult if Scherzer (8-2, 4.39 ERA) can duplicate his last outing. The right-hander gave up one run and four hits over seven innings Saturday in an 8-1 win over Seattle after posting a 12.51 ERA over his three previous starts.

"I really just executed better pitches," he said. "I was able to keep my slider down in the zone, my fastball down in the zone and a couple balls they hit hard found gloves."

Before that rough patch, Scherzer was off to the best start in his career, 6-0 with a 2.81 ERA, and has a chance to earn a share of the major league wins lead in this outing. To claim that, he might need a better start against the Indians, who are one percentage point ahead of the Tigers.

Scherzer is 1-3 with a 5.97 ERA in five career matchups. He gave up five runs over 6 2-3 innings April 29 but did not get a decision in a 9-5 loss.

While Scherzer will try for a third straight win, the Indians' Mitch Talbot (2-3, 4.01) will attempt to avoid losing three consecutive starts for the first time in his career.

Talbot's drought is due in large part to the zero runs he's received from his teammates. The right-hander has a 2.45 ERA over his last three starts and has yielded two runs in each of his past two defeats.

He also gave up four hits in Saturday's 4-0 defeat to the New York Yankees before being ejected in the sixth inning for hitting Alex Rodriguez with a fastball. Talbot contended that his foot slipped while making the pitch.

"The kid was throwing good and I really wanted to see him continue to pitch the way he was pitching," manager Manny Acta told the team's website.

Talbot is seeking his third straight win over the Tigers and posted a 0.75 ERA in his final two matchups last season.

Despite its struggles in Detroit, Cleveland has won seven of eight overall against the Tigers.